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F. B. PORSTERA APPARATUS FOR MANUFAGTURING ILLUMINATING AND HEATING GAS.No. 354,185. Patented Dec. 14, 1886.

WITNESSES: l/Vl/E/VTOI? l FRANCIS B. FORSTER. 5 M. Br

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS B. FORSTER, OF NEWV YGRK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ILLUIVHNATING AND HEATING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,185, dated December14, 1886.

Application filed April 14,1886. Serial No. 198,858. (Nonmdehl I To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS B. FORSTER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forManufacturing Illuminating and Heating Gas, of which the following is aspecification.

Myinvention relates to the manufacture of illuminating and heating gasfor heating and lighting purposes; and it consists in the novelapparatus herein described, whereby a gas of superior quality may beproduced at a very low cost.

The apparatus used in carrying out my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, which represents a vertical central sectionthereof.

The letter A designates a vessel, which is divided by means ofahorizontal partition, B, into two compartments, 0 D, the upper of whichis preferably made of larger area than the lower, and in which issupported, as upon feet a, a pan, E. This pan is of annular or othersuitable shape, and is divided by an annular partition, 2), into twocompartments, F G, while it is perforated on the side and bottom, eitheror both, to permit entrance of liquid thereto. Said annular pan Esurrounds a pipe, H, which is supported in the partition I), and extendsfrom the lower compartment, D, to a point near the top of the uppercompartment, thus producing a communication between the twocompartments, said pipe being In the upper compartment, 0, is a bell, I,which is of less diameter 1 than said compartment, leaving a space, 0,be-

tween it and the sides of the compartment, and which is inverted overthe annular pan E, as well as over the pipe H. Said bell I is held inposition in the upper compartment, 0, by suitable lugs and keys, (Z, andit is open at the bottom, and it is provided with holes or openings 6 inthe side for the passage of liquid theretofromitsinclosing-compartment.From the top of the bell I extends a pipe, J, which is provided with asuitable stop-cock, and may be filled for a portion of its length withcopper wire-gauze acting as a sieve or filter. The lower compartment, D,is provided with afilling orifice,f, having a suitable cap, and alsowith an outlet-pipe, K, both said fillingorifice and pipe being at ornear the top of said compartment.

The apparatus is preferably made of copper throughout, except as to theoutlet J of the bell, and the operation is as follows: The lowercompartment, D, is supplied with naphtha or other hydrocarbon liquid,and also supplied with a suitable quantity of excelsior or other fibrousmaterial. The inner compartment, F, of the annular pan E is suppliedwith salt (either fine or rock salt) in a dry or und-issolved state, andinto the outer compartment, G, of said pan are placed sheets of zinc 0,which may be in they form of rings, and to which is attached the pole ofan insulated wire, another wire being attached to a suit able part ofthe copper composing the body of the pan. Said wires may be carriedeither through air-tight insulated openings P in the top of the bell I,or they may pass under the lower edge of the same through the annularchamber. Sulphuric acid is now mixed with water in fixed proportionssayin the proportion of one part of sulphuric acid to nine parts ofWaterand the diluted acid poured into the upper compartment, 0, whenceit passes through the openings 0 of the bell into the latter, and thencethrough the perforations of the pan into the latter, where it comes incontact with the zinc plates 0, as Well as the salt contained in thepan. By the contact of the diluted sulphuric acid with the zinc plates 0hydrogen is produced, and by opening the valve of the outlet-pipe J asufficient length of time to permit the air contained in the hell I toescape after the valve of the outlet-pipe J is closed, the bell becomesfilled with the hydrogen gas, whence it forces itself through the pipe Hinto thelower compartment, D, so that by contact with the light carbonvapors of the liquid contained in the lower compartment it becomescarbureted, and in that state may be conducted to any desired pointthrough the outlet-pipe K. The action of the diluted sulphuric acid onthe salt contained in the pan E is to produce,in the firstinstancc,hydroohloric acid, which is decomposed by the action of thebattery into hydrogen, and chlorine, the latter decomposing the zincplates, forming chloride of zinc, and the hydrogen being set free, to beafterward carbureted, if desirable, by passing it through the naphtha.The

effect of the hydrochloric acid is to increase the acidity of thediluted acid introduced into the gas generating chamber and replace orreplenish any acid that maybe consumed in the production of hydrogen,while the effect of the chlorine, a portion of which mixes with thehydrogen, is to render the latter heavier and better fitted to becarbureted.

When it is desired to use the hydrogen gas without ca rbureting thesame, as for heating purposes, the illuminating-pipe'K is shut off andthe gas is permitted to escape directly from the bell I through itsoutlet-pipe J, the latter being provided with flexible pipes forconducting the gas to the desired point, as to a heating or cookingstove.

The electricity generated by the action of the diluted acid on the zincplates and the copper may be used for various purposes as for ringingelectric bells, annunciators, fire or burglar alarms, or for lightinggas-and it is evident that by means thereof the utility of my apparatusis materially increased.

As the apparatus is working automatically through the hydrogen in thebell I, it follows that when no gas is used either through the hydrogenpipe J or the illuminating-gas pipe K, the acidulated water will bedriven backthrough the openings e into the outer compart ment, 0,leaving the zinc plates 0 free from connection with such diluted acid,which will have the effect of stopping the production of electricity. Inorder to have no interruption in theprod'uction of electricity, I placein the bottom or on the sides of the outer compartment, G, of the pan aporous material, such as asbestus or felt, e, or mineral wool or othersuitable material, about one inch thick, which will hold the dilutedacid until the time that either the illuminating or heating gas is usedagaln.

\Vhen the electric wires 2 and 3 are conducted through the top of thehell I, the por' tions of the wire within the bell may be coiled in theform of springs, to permit a motion of the bell without affecting thewires.

I am aware that the use of zinc and an alkaline salt in the manufactureof hydrogen gas is old, and I do not claim such, broadly, as myinvention, the novel features of which, as to the process employed, arethe introduction of dry salt, together with the zinc, into the properchamber to be simultaneously acted-onby the diluted acid subsequentlysupplied to said chamber, the effect being to produce superior operationand prevent waste of material.

I am also aware that an apparatus has heretofore been used in whichmetallic scraps or turnings and carbonate of lime are subjected to theaction of diluted acid, and the resulting gas carbureted withhydrocarbon vapor, and.

neither do I claim such as my invention. It' will be seen that in myapparatus provision is made for producing an electrical current withinthe gasgenerating chamber by the connection of suitable wires to thecopper pan and zinc plates, which being constituent parts of theapparatus do not entail any expense in effecting the desired result.

Another important feature of my apparatus is the employment of the pipeJ, whereby provision is made for carrying off the hydrogen gas withoutits being earbureted, to be used for heating or other like purposes, andwith out interferingwith the carbureting medium, the apparatus being, infact, adapted to supply both carbureted and uncarbureted gas, oneindependently of the other.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an apparatus for generating gas, the combination of a copper pan,arranged substan tiall y as herein described, to be supplied withdiluted acid, zinc plates arranged in said pan, electric wires connectedto said plates and the body of the pan, respectively, the belt I,inverted over said pan and constructed to permit the passage of saidwires, the pipe J, extending from the top of said bell, for the outletofhydrogen gas, the carbureting-compart- .nnent D, and the inlet-pipe'H ofsaid compartment, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York.

FRANCIS B; .FORSTER.

\Vitnesscs:

FRANCIS 0. Bowen, J AS. S. EWBANK.

